IN10 


Flow Induced Instabilities and Non-Newtonian Fluids


Fully developed capillary flow of a shear-banding solution of wormlike micelles requires L/d > 100


October 21, 2019 (Monday) 3:45


Track 4 / Room 305B

(Click on name to view author profile)

  1. Salipante, Paul F. (NIST, Polymers & Complex Fluids)
  2. Dharmaraj, Vishnu (NIST)
  3. Hudson, Steven (NIST)

(in printed abstract book)
Paul F. Salipante, Vishnu Dharmaraj, and Steven Hudson
NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899


Salipante, Paul F.


The viscosity of a shear-banding wormlike micelle solution at high shear rates is investigated using capillary rheology and particle streak velocimetry. Measurements of the flow profile and pressure gradient show an extended entrance region, which exceeds a length to diameter ratio of 100, to reach a fully developed flow. We characterized this entrance region for capillaries with different cross-sections and use the results to select a downstream portion of the capillary where capillary rheology measurements can be made on fully developed flow. We observe a shear- thinning power- law behavior for all channel geometries above the plateau stress until reaching the solvent viscosity limit.